Strawberry-huller.



No. 838,662. PATENTED DEC. 18, 1906.

A..W. STEPHENS. STRAWBERRY HULLBR.

APPLICATION FILED MAYl, 1906.

THE NORRIS PETERS 50., wasnma'rau, u. c.

UNITED STATES AUeUSTUS w. STEPHENS, or WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

STRAWBERRY-HULLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 1-8, 1906.

Application filed May I, 1906- Serial NO. 315653- To (ti/Z whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS W. STE- PHENS, of WValtham, in the county of Middle- Sex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Strawberry-Hullers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a strawberryhuller composed of a sheet of strip metal bent crosswise at the center of its length to form two normally diverging arms and a connecting-neck, the outer ends of the arms being formed to cooperate as jaws adapted to bite into a strawberry and sever the hull from the body of the berry.

The invention has for its object to provide a device of this character, the jaws of which shall be adapted to be closed upon the berry with the minimum resistance due to the stifi'- ness of the sheet-metal strip, and at the same time to insure a sufficient projection of the jaws from between the thumb and finger of the hand which operates the jaws to give the operator a free and unobstructed view of the berry and its hull when applying the huller to the berry.

The invention consists in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a side view of a strawberry-huller embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 represents a perspective view showing my improved huller engaged with the thumb and forefinger of the operators hand.

The same numerals of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In carrying out my invention I bend a resilient sheet-metal strip crosswise of its length to form two arms 12 12 and a connecting neck 13, the arms being normally caused to diverge, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, by the resilience of the strip. The body portions of the arms are flat and are provided at their outer ends with semi-elliptical beveled flanges 14, inclined inwardly from the outer sides of the arms and constituting hullingjaws adapted to bite a hull from a strawberry when the arms are pressed toward each other. The semi-elliptical form of the jaws enables their acting portions to bite off a hull with the minimum removal and waste of the pulp of the berry. In the outer portions of the fiat bodies of the arms are formed concavo-convex bosses 15, which project inwardly from the outer sides of the arms and are adapted to engage the tips of the thumb and forefinger of the operators hand. The said bosses are separated from the jaws 14 by extensions 16 of the fiat portions of the arms, these extensions being of such width that they cause the jaws to project substantially from between the thumb and forefinger, as indicated in Fig. 3, so that the operators view of the jaws is not obstructed by the thumb and finger which operate them. The operator is therefore enabled to perform the operation of hulling quickly and accurately and with minimum waste.

By reference to Fig. 3 it will be seen that the beveled jaws 14, the bosses 15, and the intermediate flat extensions 16, collectively, corrugate the outer portions of the arms. I have found that the corrugation thus imparted so Stiffens the jaws and the adjacent finger and thumb engaging portions of the arms that the thickness of the strip of which the device is made may be reduced to the minimum, thus enabling the arms to yield and move toward each other with the minimum resistance. The strain on the muscles of the thumb and finger operating the device is therefore correspondingly reduced. This is a feature of considerable importance when the device is used for a protracted length of time.

It will be observed that the bosses 15 are near the free ends of the arms 12, being, in fact, so near said ends that they are between the side portions of the curved flanges 14. Said bosses receive the ends of the fingers of the user and prevent slipping backward. The location of said bosses is such that a much less force is required on the part of the user than if the fingers were to grasp the arms midway of their length. The fingers of the user will remain adjacent to the jaws so as to render the device operative with only the minimum of force.

I claim A strawberry-huller composed of a strip of resilient sheet metal bent to form two normally diverging arms and a connecting-neck, said arms having curved-beveled flanges or jaws at their outer ends, and inwardly-probosses, the said jaws and bosses stiffening the arms so as to render the device operative outer portions of the arms and enabling the With the minimum of force. in thickness of the strip of Which they are made In testimony whereof I have aflixed my to be reduced to the minimum, the said bosses signature in presence of two Witnesses.

5 being near the free ends of the arms and be- AUGUSTUS W. STEPHENS.

tween the side portions of the curved flanges Witnesses: whereby the grasp of the fingers of the user C. F. BROWN, will remain adjacent to the free ends of the E. BATOHELDER. 

